There was nothing Furukawa Hirozawa could do but take another day off.
Furukawa Hirozawa was in a daze, half asleep, when he heard a knock on the door.
He opened the door to find Kinoshita Keisuke, Hayamikawa, and Yamada-kun.
The guys rushed in, tackling Furukawa Hirozawa to the ground, then lifted him and carried him out.
"Huh?"
Furukawa Hirozawa was in a complete panic, his limbs flailing in the air.
"What are you doing?"
"Furukawa! Let's go on a spontaneous trip!" Kinoshita Keisuke said.
"Huh?"
Furukawa Hirozawa's brain couldn't process it for a moment.
What did he mean, a spontaneous trip?
The guys shoved him into the car.
Hayamikawa, in the driver's seat, gave Furukawa a peace sign.
Furukawa was bewildered the entire time, feeling deeply that some huge change had occurred in the world, causing these guys to become so insane.
Or was he just delirious from his illness, having such a strange dream?
"Furukawa, where's your hometown again?" Kinoshita Keisuke asked from beside him.
"Kyoto," Furukawa Hirozawa answered instinctively.
"OK!"
Kinoshita Keisuke pointed at Hayamikawa, "Shizuoka Prefecture."
Then he pointed at Yamada-kun, "Nagoya."
"Me," Kinoshita Keisuke laughed, "Tokyo!"
"What the hell?" Furukawa Hirozawa just felt these guys were completely insane.
"You, Kyoto is the furthest, but it doesn't matter."
Kinoshita Keisuke said, "It's all on one line, we can totally go through it all."
"From Tokyo to Kyoto, it's less than 400 kilometers. A round trip within a day should be enough," Hayamikawa said.
"Nani?! You're going to Kyoto today?" Furukawa Hirozawa had no idea what these people were doing.
"I told you, it's a spontaneous trip."
Kinoshita Keisuke smiled and put his arm around Furukawa's neck, "Don't you want to go back and see your old school, see your childhood sweetheart?"
Huh?
Furukawa Hirozawa suddenly froze.
Because at that moment, the thought that flashed through his mind wasn't about having to go to work tomorrow.
Instead, it was the image of a cute girl.
That girl named Yukitake Junna was his childhood sweetheart.
"Wait a minute!"
Furukawa Hirozawa immediately realized something was wrong.
He looked at everyone suspiciously, "Could it be?"
"Yes!!!"
Kinoshita Keisuke nodded seriously, "This time, we're going back to see our youth, to see where the girls we used to like are now, and what they're doing! Isn't that meaningful?!"
"Meaningful my foot! Aren't we working tomorrow?"
"Didn't I tell you, 400 kilometers? We can totally make it back before work tomorrow."
"But…"
"Furukawa! Be honest, okay? We also mustered up a lot of courage to do this." Kinoshita Keisuke said seriously, "If it weren't for Yamada-kun's suggestion, we probably would never have had the courage to do something like this in our lives.
After this time, we won't be able to do the same thing again."
Kinoshita Keisuke turned to look at Furukawa Hirozawa, "Take this opportunity to fulfill your wishes. Don't live with regrets, seize the present!"
This guy, he had a way with words.
He had always thought Kinoshita Keisuke was a bit off, but Hayamikawa, why were you going crazy with him?
"Kinoshita, you bastard, aren't you about to marry your girlfriend? And you're still going to find your first love?!" Furukawa exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah~ I'm not trying to get back together with her or anything," Kinoshita Keisuke chuckled awkwardly, "I, well, it's precisely because I'm about to marry Yuka that I want to complete this trip.
I need to convey the feelings I never expressed, and get married without any regrets."
Damn it…
Furukawa Hirozawa glanced at him disdainfully.
This guy was useless except for being handsome.
He couldn't understand why he could constantly change girlfriends while he was still single.
"Wait."
Just then, Furukawa Hirozawa suddenly realized a very serious problem—
"Sure enough… you all played Pokeni's new game, right?"
"Yes, Pokeni's game this time has a really strong aftereffect." Kinoshita Keisuke nodded seriously.
"Some things, if you don't do them, you'll regret them for a lifetime," Yamada-kun said.
"Those who do it tomorrow are fools!" Hayamikawa quoted a famous line from proposal daisakusen.
Furukawa Hirozawa painfully covered his forehead.
Pokeni's new game was truly harmful!
"Huh? Could it be that you really just have a fever?"
Just then, Kinoshita Keisuke touched Furukawa's forehead and found it hotter than he had imagined.
"Otherwise?" Furukawa Hirozawa looked at them with disdain.
The few of them quickly exchanged glances.
"It's okay, you can sleep in the car," Hayamikawa said.
"Hey, show some respect for the patient, okay?!"
…
Four men, three bachelors, thus set off in a car, swaying along.
The vehicle sped through the streets of Tokyo, the surrounding scenery rapidly passing by.
Looking at some girls in yukatas on the street, probably foreign tourists,
Furukawa Hirozawa fell into a brief memory, his eyes unfocused for a moment.
Once upon a time, he had also watched fireworks, gazed at the starry sky, and sung songs with a similarly lovely girl…
Although he was smiling.
His heart was filled with incomparable panic.
No way?
Does he really have to see her?
…
Smack!
A loud slap.
The young woman in a business suit raised her hand and slapped Kinoshita Keisuke hard across the face.
The slap was so loud that the remaining few watching from afar in the car couldn't help but flinch.
Furukawa Hirozawa and his two other companions instinctively covered their left cheeks.
Just watching it made them feel pain.
"Kinoshita Keisuke, you scum!!!"
The girl not only slapped him hard but also spat fiercely.
"Sayonara, Rei."
Kinoshita Keisuke said affectionately.
"Get lost."
Kinoshita Keisuke covered his burning cheek, opened the car door, and got back in.
Seeing the pitying yet amused looks from his other companions, Kinoshita Keisuke lightly brushed his bangs from his forehead.
"Sigh, there's no helping it, being too popular is like this."
Kinoshita Keisuke rested his elbow on the window frame, looking out of the car.
"It's just that I hurt her too deeply back then."
"Rei just had to give me an unforgettable memory."
"Right, right, exactly."
The companions nodded, indicating that it was extremely difficult to hold back their laughter.
…
Although everyone found the scene of Kinoshita Keisuke being slapped hilarious, once the car restarted, the men simultaneously fell silent.
Pokeni's game was indeed wonderful.
proposal daisakusen evoked everyone's shared youth memories.
But…
It seemed not everyone could be like Iwase Ken and Yoshida Li.
First love was beautiful, happy, and unforgettable.
However, there could also be situations like Kinoshita Keisuke's.
Due to certain reasons, he hurt the other person, leading to a falling out and becoming enemies.
In your heart, the other person is as beautiful as Miss Moon.
But…
In the other person's heart?
Are you Iwase Ken, or Kinoshita Keisuke?
That is the question.
Hayamikawa couldn't help but silently swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Because the next stop was his.
…
When they arrived in Shizuoka Prefecture, Hayamikawa drove towards his former high school.
"Yuri's mother was a Author at our school. I used to be very mischievous and often made her mother angry, and I was scolded several times for it."
Hayamikawa's voice choked up a bit as he spoke.
Memories, you see, are like a vast ocean hidden deep in your heart; once there's a breeze, it starts to churn.
Huge waves instantly engulfed Hayamikawa.
After a quick glance at the school gate, he drove towards his childhood sweetheart's home.
"I'm not sure if they're still here, or if Yuri has already moved away."
"Go for it!"
His companions cheered him on.
To be honest, Furukawa Hirozawa was very resistant to this trip at first, but for some reason, after being forced into the car, he no longer resisted the journey.
He even felt subtly happy.
Not only was he excited to see Junna, but he was also genuinely happy to see his close friends muster the courage to confess or say goodbye to their missed first loves, bravely expressing their feelings.
Cherishing the present, and at the same time, making peace with his past self and childhood friend.
Perhaps that was the greatest meaning of this journey?
Or perhaps, accompanying friends on such a journey through life was the greatest gain this time?
After walking for a while, Hayamikawa arrived at the childhood home of his childhood friend.
On the gate outside the house, a nameplate hung, with the two characters: Takashi Kazuma.
It was Yu Ri's home, no doubt.
But...
Hayamikawa stood at the entrance, hesitating for a long time, still not daring to press the doorbell.
Forget it.
Let's go back.
It's not good to disturb others at a time like this.
"Shin-kun, is that you?"
Just then, a clear voice rang out.
"Nani?!"
Hayamikawa suddenly looked up, only to see a young woman coming around the corner.
She wore a large white hat on her head, a long white dress, and asked cautiously.
"Yu Ri?" Hayamikawa felt as if tears were about to fall.
The friends sitting in the car were equally touched, holding each other's hands, appearing exceptionally excited.
"That's great, Hayamikawa's childhood friend is so beautiful. And she still remembers him," Yamada said.
"It looks like there's a good chance," Furukawa Hirozawa nodded.
"Damn it, why did my childhood friend have to slap me?" Kinoshita touched his burning cheek.
Just as Hayamikawa mustered the courage to say something to Takashi Kazuma Yu Ri, a small child ran over and gently held Yu Ri's hand.
"Mommy, who is this uncle?"
Nani?!
The friends in the car were all stunned.
Hayamikawa's outstretched right hand also paused for a moment, then retracted.
His gaze, which had been joyful moments ago, gradually turned into sadness and blessing.
"Him? He's a very good friend Mommy grew up with," Takashi Kazuma Yu Ri squatted down, stroking the child's head. "Haruko, this is Uncle Hayamikawa."
"I am Miyazawa Haruko, nice to meet you, please take care of me," the child politely bowed to Hayamikawa.
The people in the car could almost hear Hayamikawa's heart breaking.
...
"Ah... what should I do, I don't want to go to Nagoya anymore," Yamada rubbed his face hard.
"So scary."
Yamada took a deep breath, his whole body tense.
"Kinoshita-senpai, you got slapped, and Hayamikawa-senpai's childhood friend got married early, and her child is already three years old.
I can't even imagine what kind of situation I'll encounter," Yamada thought dejectedly.
It was all Kinoshita's fault for not getting things off to a good start; this dream-chasing journey was simply a nightmare.
Not to mention Yamada didn't want to go, Furukawa Hirozawa felt the same way.
"Beautiful things are best kept in your heart.
Why revisit them?
In the end, if you find out it's not as beautiful as you imagined, it's actually a very disillusioning thing."
"Hmm... that's true."
Hayamikawa drove while thinking.
Two seconds later, he smiled and said, "But, I don't think this is a disillusioning thing.
Yu Ri and I met in elementary school.
Just like Iwase Ken and Yoshida Li in proposal daisakusen.
Originally, I thought seeing Yu Ri married with a child would be very hurtful.
But, that was only in the moment.
When I got back in the car, I realized I wasn wasn't that sad."
At this point, Hayamikawa choked up again, his eyes instantly turning red.
"How should I put it, seeing Yu Ri so happy, I am genuinely happy for her from the bottom of my heart."
"As long as Yu Ri is happy, I think it's enough."
Hayamikawa said with a smile, "I only regret not acting sooner. I was single-mindedly focused on going to Tokyo."
"But Tokyo is also my dream."
"One can only say there was no fate."
Hearing his words, everyone fell into a moment of silence.
When he turned around, Hayamikawa was already crying.
...
For the rest of the journey, Kinoshita took over the driving.
The group arrived in Nagoya around 2 PM.
They finally found Yamada's childhood friend.
Yamada was extremely nervous.
After asking around, the other party stated that she was still single to this day.
Oh yeah!
The friends in the car high-fived each other happily.
"Looking at it this way, Yamada has a very high chance of success!"
"Yeah, don't you guys think, Yamada is so young, it's normal for his childhood friend not to be married yet, right?"
Yamada was a bit younger than these three men in their 30s, probably only around 25 years old, considered their junior.
The main reason he could hang out with them was that they were all game enthusiasts.
"Thank you for appearing in my life."
"I once liked Qian-chan, and I still like her now," Yamada mimicked a line from the game and confessed.
The other party, however, looked surprised.
After two seconds of stunned, Little Qian's mouth widened in surprise.
"Nani?! Yamada, you once liked me?"
Nani?!
The friends in the car were all stunned.
"I'm very happy to receive Yamada-kun's confession after so many years, but, I'm very sorry!"
Little Qian bowed deeply to Yamada, "I cannot accept your feelings, Yamada-kun, you are not my type."
"Really, really, I'm very sorry!"
...
"Wuwuwu..."
Of the four people in the car, three fell into despair and sadness.
Their self-esteem was completely shattered.
Only Furukawa Hirozawa had not yet fallen.
"Indeed, game is just game; there are too many uncontrollable factors in reality."
"Even in the game, the fairy said that these two were both destined and a miracle."
"Such a 0.00001% chance is impossible."
"How about we go back?" Furukawa Hirozawa persuaded.
"We've already come all this way," Yamada said, "Senpai, you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't go."
"Please don't give up halfway, okay?" Hayamikawa said.
"Please take this trip seriously, okay!?" Kinoshita emphasized.
"Yes, yes, okay, okay. At your command," Furukawa Hirozawa responded weakly.
...
They finally arrived in Kyoto with great difficulty.
Looking at the unique ancient buildings of Kyoto and the starry sky above, Furukawa Hirozawa felt a surge of emotion in his heart.
He recalled the scene of him and Junna watching the stars on the mountaintop.
At that time, the two of them were truly youthful and beautiful.
However...
Like Iwase Ken in the game, he was never able to say the words "I like you."
To this day, Furukawa still couldn't confirm her feelings.
The closer he got to where she was, the more fear filled Furukawa Hirozawa's heart.
What if Junna never liked me and only saw me as a friend?
What if Junna was already married, a wife, and had children?
Thinking about it, this possibility was very high, after all, Furukawa Hirozawa himself was already 30 years old.
What he feared most was, what if he had really hurt Junna before without realizing it, and she slapped him hard twice?
That would probably be my own doing, right?
...
Mustering his courage with great difficulty, Furukawa Hirozawa rang the doorbell of the Yukitake family.
After explaining his purpose.
"Nani?! Junna?"
Hearing that Furukawa Hirozawa had come to see her daughter, Junna's mother was quite surprised.
"Why are you only coming now?"
Junna's mother complained, "She went to Tokyo seven years ago."
"She rarely comes back now."
Went to Tokyo?
Hearing this, Furukawa Hirozawa, on the contrary, felt relieved.
Not being able to meet, perhaps that was the best ending?
No fate means no fate.
Even if there's no fate to even meet.
But this is also good, if they don't meet, then the Junna in his memory will still be the same.
Everything will be as beautiful as before.
Good.
"Then thank you, I'll visit again if I have the chance."
Furukawa Hirozawa bowed slightly, preparing to leave.
Just then, Junna's mother's voice came from behind.
"That..."
"Hmm?" Furukawa Hirozawa turned around.
"That child, Junna, desperately wanted to go to Tokyo back then."
"Because."
Junna's mother looked at Furukawa Hirozawa and smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons; although they were covered in crow's feet, Furukawa Hirozawa saw Junna's reflection on her face.
"Because she said, you were there."
"What?!"
Furukawa Hirozawa felt as if his chest had been struck hard, his whole body trembling violently.
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